Ranking the 20 best players in MLS so far this season

Fan voting for the 2017 MLS All-Star game is now open and while famous names and U.S. internationals typically fill the makeshift squad, some of the league's underrated performers go unheralded. With that in mind, here are the 20 players who best impressed us so far this season:

20. Matt Besler

Having featured in every minute of the season, Matt Besler is a crucial part of Sporting KC's backline, one that has the team sitting pretty atop the west.

19. Cyle Larin

Orlando City striker Cyle Larin isn't the biggest striker, nor is he the fastest. He doesn't have the deftest first touch. But he does make scoring look easy.

18. Lee Nguyen

New England is working to find its identity but the steadfast Lee Nguyen hasn't skipped a beat - six goals and five assists form the bedrock of this reinvention.

17. Alexander Ring

New York City FC built its midfield on the legs of Frank Lampard and Andoni Iraola but Alexander Ring stepped in to help replace them when they retired.

16. Christian Ramirez

Christian Ramirez is one of the rare NASL talents to enjoy success in MLS and is also stubbornly setting the record straight on Minnesota United's true merit.

15. Haris Medunjanin

The Philadelphia Union started 2017 poorly but have turned it around in recent weeks. Throughout it all, Haris Medunjanin has been outstanding in the middle.

14. Tim Melia

This year's best 'keeper is Sporting KC's Tim Melia, who boasts a league-high 78.2 percent save percent and has conceded 10 times, second-fewest in MLS.

13. Florian Jungwirth

The reinvigorated San Jose Earthquakes have a new defensive star in Florian Jungwirth, the versatile German who called his MLS debut "really hilarious."

12. Justin Morrow

Justin Morrow has three goals to his name, but that's a misleading stat; he ought to have more, since he was made to fill in for Drew Moor at center-back.

11. David Accam

The Chicago Fire owe a lot of its resurgence to David Accam's seven goals - five of which have come in the last five matches. He has four assists, too.

10. Matt Hedges

The best central defender of the bunch is far and away FC Dallas' Matt Hedges who has been a key part in a backline that conceded a league-low nine goals.

9. Justin Meram

Seven goals and four assists makes Justin Meram so very valuable for the Columbus Crew, and the Iraq international is right in the prime of his career.

8. Victor Vazquez

Greg Vanney called Victor Vazquez the "most clever" No. 10 in MLS and with eight assists and three goals, he might very well be right. Thank you, La Masia.

7. Romain Alessandrini

The LA Galaxy are in full rebuild this season and new star winger Romain Alessandrini has proven himself quite useful; he's got six goals and six assists.

6. Erick Torres

On its day, the Houston Dynamo front three of Alberth Elis, Romell Quioto, and Erick Torres is unstoppable; it's why the latter has nine goals to his name.

5. Diego Valeri

Diego Valeri was always one of the league's best players, but with a newfound penchant for headed goals, the Portland Timbers' Argentine maestro keeps adding more elements to his already-dangerous game.

4. Jozy Altidore

No striker is more well-rounded and dangerous than Toronto FC's Jozy Altidore, who, at six goals and four assists, is adept at both starting and finishing attacking plays with his hold-up play, passing, and off-the-ball runs.

3. Miguel Almiron

Back-to-back Player of the Week honors is certainly nice, but Miguel Almiron's warpath won't be stalled by ego games. Atlanta United has certainly unearthed a genuine gem from Paraguay, and a move to Europe is a matter of when, not if for the 23-year-old who already boasts seven goals and four assists.

2. Nemanja Nikolic

The league's top scorer Nemanja Nikolic came to Chicago with a reputation for enjoying an incredible rate of conversion at Legia Warsaw, and kept true to that legacy by hitting the mark over and over for the Fire. With 11 goals in 13 matches, Nikolic is on pace to beat the league single-season record of 27.

1. David Villa

Each week, NYCFC captain David Villa makes an even more compelling case for his spot atop the MLS talent mountain, and not just because Sebastian Giovinco is out injured; eight goals and four assists tell only part of the story here - he out-works, out-runs, and out-shines every other player in the league.

Honorable mentions: Julian Gressel (Atlanta), Chris Pontius (D.C. United), Maxi Moralez (NYCFC), Aaron Long (NY Red Bulls), Raheem Edwards (Toronto FC), Carlos Rivas (Orlando), C.J. Sapong (Philadelphia)